The Girl With The Dark Hair
by irishgirlkath
Summary: Lasr chapter
1. Chapter 1

Georgetown University 1990

The girl sitting next to Will during orientation kept babbling on how exciting it was to be going to law school, and how she could not wait to call her parents tonight, tell them how thrilled she was to be going to Georgetown. They were so proud of her, and the entire town of Lower Podunk, Minnesota or wherever the hell she was from had thrown her a party when she left Her name was Amy or Emily. Something like that. . Girls like her were a dime a dozen. He was more intrigued by the girl with the dark hair sitting alone at the back of the auditorium.

Amy/Emily followed Will outside, and for some inexplicable reason, he asked her to go to Houlihan's for a drink. They were about to walk over there when Dark Curly Hair, the woman of his dreams, walked past them.

"Excuse me. Do you happen to know where the registrar's office would be?" she asked.

"Sure. It's on the other side of the quad. I'm Will Gardner. We were going to go for a drink you wanted to join us?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. Alicia Cavanaugh."

Will had gotten his Bachelor's from Georgetown. Having already been around four years, he knew every watering hole like the back of his hand. In fact. When the trio walked into Houlihan's , the hostess recognized him at once.

"Will! Nice to see you again! Your table is ready in the back."

They sat down, ordered a pitcher of Killian's Ale, and a plate of onion rings.

"So where are you from Alicia?" he asked.

"Chicago. I did my undergrad in Philly. Penn. My parents, and now my new boyfriend expected that I'd go somewhere closer to home for law school."

He cringed when he heard the word "boyfriend". She'd met a guy named Peter when she was working as an intern at a large downtown Chicago firm. Peter Florrick was already a junior associate there.

Will admitted he hadn't always treated the women he dated the way they deserved to be treated. However, he had to wonder about a person who was an attorney in a prestigious firm hitting on a twenty-one year old intern.

The girl who'd come with them, whose name turned out to be Rebecca, sat in pouty silence while Will and Alicia were deep in conversation. Eventually, she grew bored, and started talking to someone at the bar. That was the last they saw of her.

They ordered a second pitcher of beer, and talked amiably about the Presidential election still two years away, their class schedules, and whether the Cubs were ever going to win a World Series.

He noticed from the beginning that she did not gush. She had maturity, and a quiet self-assurance missing in other young women her age. She was obviously whip-smart, and he had no doubt she'd be a superb lawyer one day.

It began to get late, and Will walked her back to the apartment she shared with two other students. He was tempted to kiss her, but remembered the boyfriend, this Peter, and thought better of it.

Alicia could not fall asleep. Maybe it was because her roommate and a guy she had just met were noisily "going at it" in the next room. Maybe it was the excitement of starting law school, and nervousness about classes starting tomorrow.

Maybe it was Will Gardner.

She wasn't sure if she loved Peter Florrick. All she knew was that when they had their first real date when he internship ended, she ended up at his apartment, and in his bed.

Alicia didn't do that sort of thing. She'd had her share of high school and college relationships. But she hadn't spent the night in a man's apartment in her entire life. It was almost as though Peter had some kind of hold over her.

She sensed Peter was going to be someone important one day. People were drawn to his easy charm, and his charismatic personality. A born politician. Maybe he'd become a Senator, or Governor of Illinois.

They wanted the same things out of life, her and Peter. When she finished law school, she'd find a job in Chicago. They'd get married, and buy a townhouse or condo in Lincoln Park. They'd become a working professional couple.

Someday, they'd buy a house in the suburbs. Eventually, there would be kids. She wanted two.

A boy named Zachary, and a girl named Victoria. That wouldn't be until they were married six or seven years, though.

Will Gardner. Now that was something altogether different. He was sexy. There was no doubt about that. Yet, she got the feeling he liked to play. She couldn't see marriage or kids on Will's radar now, or ever.

The phone rang, and she answered, expecting it to be Peter.

"Hi. It's Will Gardner. Sorry to call so late. I just wanted to say I had a great time with you. Did you want to get together after classes tomorrow? Say, Houlihan's at six o'clock?"

"Sure. See you then."

From that first year, Will and Alicia were inseparable. When their friends invited them to a party, or out for drinks, they assumed that if Will was invited Alicia would be there, and vice versa. Those who didn't know them well assumed they were a couple.

Peter came to visit over a few weekends, and Will took an instant dislike to him. He was always polite and friendly enough. Yet Will sensed smarminess beneath the surface.

He also found Peter's attitude toward Alicia superior and condescending. Here was a woman who had graduated Cum Laude from an Ivy League college, and was near the top of her class in law school. Yet Peter seemed to diminish her.

Alicia stayed in Washington during the summer between first and second year working for an Illinois Congressman. Peter's father had written her a glowing letter of recommendation. Will stayed in his DC apartment, and commuted on MARC to a job in Baltimore. They saw one another on weekends when Alicia wasn't flying to Chicago, or Peter wasn't visiting.

During the last week of August, a group of their friends rented a beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, and asked Will and Alicia to join them. They had a marvelous time spending days on the beach, and the nights hitting the bars around Rehoboth Beach.

On the last day, it rained. They all spent the day inside, playing board games, and drinking copious amounts of beer and wine.

When the sun finally came out, someone fired up the grill, and Will and Alicia decided to take a walk along the shoreline. They were both restless after being cooped up all day, and feeling somewhat tipsy.

"So, I wanted to ask you. That girl who your housemate, Kim is moving out?" Will asked her.

"She's graduating. It's just as well. I was tired of all the random guys she was always bringing home," Alicia said.

"So you're going to need a third person to split the rent?" Will asked.

"I guess. What are you asking me, Will?"

"My lease is up at the end of September. Maybe I can move in with you."

Alicia didn't think it was a good idea at all. She spent almost all of her free time with Will as it was, and Peter was starting to complain about that. Still, she did need another roommate.

"We'd have to set some ground rules. First of all, please let me know when you're going to bring someone home. I don't want to come home, and find you on the couch banging some girl."

"Likewise." Although he knew in Alicia's case, that scenario wasn't likely.

Then, Will did something incredibly stupid. He couldn't help himself. She was just so damn beautiful, her hair covered by his Oriole's cap, her nipples visible under a thin white tee-shirt. He wanted her so badly he couldn't stand it. He wanted them to get in the car, and drive back to Washington tonight. Then they would go to his apartment, and make love violently and passionately until sunrise.

He kissed her. It was a chaste kiss, their lips barely touching. Alicia did not resist him.

Before things could progress further, someone yelled for them from the house.

"Will and Alicia! Burgers and dogs are up!"

For the rest of the night, they tried to avoid one another, but that was difficult to do in the small beach house. There was awkwardness that existed between them now.

They drove back to DC together the next day in uncomfortable silence. They barely spoke until Will pulled up in front of Alicia's building.

"I don't think I should say anything to Peter about what happened last night," she said.

"You're right, you shouldn't. There's no reason to say anything because nothing happened. We were drinking, and I did something silly. We're friends, Alicia. That's all."

She knew Will did not believe that for one second, but she decided to go along with it. Something had changed irrevocably between them, and she wasn't sure things would ever be the same.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

He had assumed that moving in with Alicia, seeing her in the morning without makeup and her hair disheveled would lessen his desire. That had not happened at all.

The first morning they were in the apartment together, he woke up and smelled coffee. Alicia was in the kitchen already. Her hair was wet, and in its naturally curly state, and she was wearing a blue terry-cloth robe.

"Morning. The coffee is on, and there are bagels and cream cheese if you want. And there are strawberries in the fridge. I have to get ready to go. I have study group before class this morning."

Will half-expected her to peck him on the cheek, and remind him to take Wally to football practice, and Beaver to his piano lesson.

"You're going to be a great wife someday," he said.

"Thanks. I guess," Alicia replied.

"I hope Peter knows how lucky he is," Will continued.

One morning in November, Will woke up expecting the coffee to be when he got up, as per usual. Alicia was spoiling him. Instead, he found her in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet.

"Alicia, what's going on? Are you sick?" The words were out of his mouth before he realized how stupid he sounded. Obviously, she was sick. She was in here puking her guts out.

She attempted to stand up, and got so dizzy; she had to lean on him for support. "I'll be fine. I need to get dressed."

"Alicia, you can barely stand. You're sick, and you're not going anywhere."

"I can't miss classes, Will. You know, from first through fourth grade, I only missed two days of school."

"Well, you're sick now. Go back to bed. I'll get your notes for you,"

"Excuse me, I need to throw up again," she said.

He helped her back to her room, then promised he come back after his morning classes to make sure she was okay.

He went to 7-Eleven after class to buy Lipton Noodle soup, ginger ale, and cold medicine. He gazed at the display of magazines, deciding Alicia would prefer Time or Newsweek to People.

She was asleep when he got back to the apartment, so he heated the soup over the stove, and took it to her.

"Will. When did you get home?" she asked weakly.

"Feeling any better?"

"I feel like crap, actually. I don't think I am making to any afternoon classes today, and tomorrow isn't looking so good either," she said.

"I made you soup. And I bought ginger ale, some magazines, Nyquil, and Vicks Vapo Rub. I'd be happy to rub it on your chest for you if you want me to," Will said.

"Stop it! You are making me laugh, and when I laugh, I start coughing. Thank you, Will."

"I'm going to take care of you just like your mom did," he said.

"My mom never would have done this for me. She would have left me with the babysitter, and run off to lunch and shopping with the girls."

Alicia did not talk much about her family. Her parents had divorced when she was young, and she barely had contact with her father. Her brother was a sophomore at Columbia, and she took the train to New York to see him.

"She sounds like a horrible woman," Will commented.

"She isn't easy to like. I never want to become the kind of mother she is," Alicia said.

Will touched her face lightly. "You are burning with fever. I can take you to the hospital…."

"Will, I'll be fine. It's just the flu. I'll be fine in a few days."

"I have to get to class. Take care of yourself," he said.

He caressed her face again, and something passed wordlessly between them. They never spoke about what had transpired last summer at the beach. Yet it was always there like the proverbial "elephant in the room."

There was a snowstorm that year just before Thanksgiving, and Alicia was unable to fly to Chicago. She called Amtrak, and the trains were cancelled as well. She failed in convincing Will to let her borrow his car, so they ended up spending the holiday together.

The weather was too bad to drive to a real store, so they went to 7-eleven and bought turkey sandwiches, canned cranberries, pumpkin pie Tastee Cakes, and a case of beer. They ate their makeshift holiday dinner on the couch while they watched "Ghost" on

video.

"Do you think love can transcend death?" Alicia asked him when the movie ended.

"Just how many beers have you drank, Alicia?" Will asked. He was not used to seeing her sentimental or weepy like this.

"I'm serious. I find it hard to believe those kind of relationships exist. My parents never had that. You parents do not. Peter's do not. I think love is all fabricated. It was created by Hollywood, and the greeting card companies.'

"So are you saying you don't love Peter?" He was hoping her answer would be no.

"I do. But if he died, I'd eventually get over it, and go on. I don't believe in that concept the Mormons have. You know, that when you find your life partner you are together through eternity."

"I can't see you as a Mormon anyway, Alicia. Living in the desert, having seven or eight kids, and giving up caffeine and alcohol? Not you."

Will got up, and removed the tape from the VCR. "Why don't I pick the next movie? How does "Top Gun" sound?" The conversation was getting a little too deep for him.

"Great! I love Top Gun!" she said.

Alicia went back to Chicago the summer after their second year. Will picked her up at National Airport, and they went to Houlihan's for a drink. She couldn't wait to tell him about her summer adventures.

"I worked for Legal Aid this summer. I really liked it. It was fascinating work," she said.

"Alicia, we're in law school so we can get out, and get jobs that actually pay us money. Just a thought," Will said.

Like Alicia Will was an excellent student. But he did not share Alicia's idealism, or her notions about the "nobility" of the legal profession. Becoming a lawyer was a means to an end for him. Something that would earn him a comfortable living, and allow him to gain the prestige and social standing his family had lacked.

"I know that. I'm not thinking about becoming a public defender or anything. I decided I do want to be a defense attorney, though."

She had also gone with Peter to California. He had taken a leave of absence from his job to work on the Clinton campaign.

"I really didn't like Los Angeles. I liked the weather, and the beach. I just didn't like the fact that you have to drive to get anywhere. I'm from Chicago, and I was jumping on the bus or the El and going all over the city by the time I was twelve. We went to San Francisco too. I loved it there, I could live there," she said.

"Maybe you could move there when you graduate," he suggested. Not that he wanted that to happen. He planned on staying on the East Coast. The thought of Alicia being 3,000 miles away was too much for him to contemplate.

"I don't think so. Peter is never going to leave Chicago," she said.

Will almost spit out his beer. "Hold on. You aren't actually planning on marrying him, are you?"

"Well, it is kind of inevitable, Will. We've been dating for over two years now. He hasn't asked me yet. I have no doubt that

he plans on it."

"Well, don't put all on your eggs in one basket," he said.

Alicia did not know what that was supposed to mean. "So how was your summer?"

"Great. I had a tryout with the Pittsburgh Pirates."

"You're kidding right?" Alicia laughed.

"No. They were having open tryouts. So I drove to Pittsburgh and I tried out."

"So how did it go?"

"They called me back for a second look, but the coaches said my skills were too rusty. I haven't played since junior year of college. I was trying out with kids barely out of high school. Seventeen and eighteen year olds. I'm only twenty-three. I felt like an old man."

"So what would you have done if you made it?" Alicia asked.

"Gone to whatever minor league team they assigned me to."

"You would have dropped out of school?" Alicia asked, surprised.

"Alicia, law school will always be here. The chance to play professional baseball is fleeting. It was a chance to pursue a childhood dream. It just didn't work out."

"Well, frankly I'm glad it didn't. I'd miss having you around," Alicia told him.

Peter proposed during winter break of her third year of law school. He did it in the most public way possible. He proposed in front of the Christmas display in Marshall Field's window.

A crowd had gathered, oohing and aahing as Peter got down on one knee, and presented her with the small velvet box. Alicia was aghast, but felt under the circumstances she couldn't very well say no.

The WGN news van happened to be driving by, and a cameraman quickly jumped out, and asked what was happening. So, the whole thing ended up on the new. WGN was a cable superstation, so it would be seen not just all over Chicgoland, but all over the county. Alicia knew that Will watched Bull's basketball on WGN. She wondered if he had seen it back in DC.

She was mortified that Peter had chosen to do this. She hated public spectacle, and he knew that. Peter was an ASA now, and planned on running for State's Attorney one day. This was more about promoting Peter Florrick than anything else.

They went to Charley Trotter's for dinner after all the hoopla was over. Alicia preferred an intimate place to celebrate their engagement to a crowded, noisy steak house.

`` Peter had invited a few of his co-workers, along with their wives, and girlfriends. Some of them had also brought kids. The children either sat at the table looking bored, or ran around causing mayhem.

Alicia was seated across from a woman named Celia, who was trying to sooth a fussy little girl who looked to be about three.

"So congrats! Peter is a catch. I hear you're in law school. Were you planning on quitting after the wedding?"

Alicia was tempted to tell her it was none of her business. "Of course not. We weren't planning on having the wedding until I finish school. Then I'll take the bar exam, and find a job here."

"What about if you guys have kids? Are you still planning to work then? I'm an attorney, you know. But I gave up my career for Ashley. I wouldn't dream of leaving her with a nanny."

Alicia smiled. 'This is not 1937. Women have choices. Our new First Lady is an attorney, and a mom. If and when I have children, I will decide in what manner I wish to raise them. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to call my mom, and my brother to tell them I'm engaged before they see it on television."

She walked toward the bank of pay phones, suddenly tempted to call Will, and tell him Peter's friends, and their wives were a bunch of pretentious snobs.


	3. Chapter 3

Will seemed to go into a tailspin after Alicia's engagement. He was drinking almost every night, and constantly picking up girls in bars near campus. Some of them were undergrads, and Alicia worried that he was going to get himself into trouble.

When he showed up late for the mock trial, bleary eyed and half-drunk from the previous night's debauchery, she lit into him. She was as angry with Will as she had ever been. She berated him for almost ruining his future, her own future, and that of their classmates.

He refused to talk to her. They still lived together, but they didn't hang out the way they once had. Alicia spent most of her time in class, at the library, or in her room studying. Will spent his time God knew where. Alicia brought her car from Chicago at the beginning of their fourth year. She would leave after classes on Friday to drive to Chicago, and then come back Monday morning in time for class. She was exhausted, but it was one way to avoid Will.

In the spring just before graduation, Will started seeing a girl named April. She was a perky redhead who was athletic like Will. They played in a softball league together that was really an excuse to get drunk. Alicia liked April, and she seemed good for Will. She would go to their games to cheer them on, and then the three of them would go out together after.

Soon, it was the week before graduation. Alicia and Will's classmates were all out celebrating the end of final exams, but they had chosen to stay in, rent movies, and drink tequila shots for old time sake. April had gone home for the weekend. She knew they needed to say goodbye.

Will went to the kitchen and poured two shots, handing one to Alicia.

"I can't drink it," she said.

He had known for weeks that something was not right with her. Between studying for the bar, and finals, they were all exhausted. However, Alicia looked like she could barely drag herself out of bed in the morning.

He thought tonight would be his last opportunity to convince her to stay in Washington for a awhile. To tell her that she needed to rethink her engagement to Peter.

"What is wrong with you? For the last month or so, you've looked like death warmed over. You should see a doctor or something. It might be cancer, or something serious like that," Will said.

"I don't have cancer, Will. And I'm appalled that you would even say that."

"Then what is it, Alicia?"

"Get your drink, and come over and sit down on the couch," she ordered.

"So what is going on?" he asked.

She swallowed. "I'm pregnant."

At first, he thought she was joking. This was a joke. This could not have happened to Alicia. Alicia who had entire life planned down to the names of her children.

"How the hell did this happen? You, who are so cautious about everything you do," Will said in disbelief.

"I went off the pill for a while. Then we went away for a weekend in Wisconsin, and I forgot my diaphragm…."

"Stop! I don't need to hear the details," Will said.

"You asked how it happened! Will I need you to be supportive. Please."

"I'm assuming Peter doesn't know yet?" he asked

She shook her head. "I got in my car last weekend, to drive to Chicago and tell him in person. In the state of mind I was in, I didn't trust myself to drive. Peter expects his life to unfold a certain way, and this is a huge bump in the road."

Will drank another tequila shot. "If he calls off the engagement because of this, I'll marry you. We'll raise the kid together, you and me."

"Oh Will, stop it. You know that isn't going to happen. You aren't ready to be a husband, or a father."

He wanted so badly to tell that he was capable of changing. He would become the man he could be. For her.

"You need to call him and tell him, Alicia. If he loves you, you two will work this out."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek, and went into her bedroom. When she came out about ten minutes later, her face was streaked with tears.

She fell into Will's arms, crying uncontrollably.

They sat on the couch together for a long time, not really speaking. Will didn't know what Peter had said to her, or what he'd suggested she do. He silently cursed him for causing Alicia this obvious pain.

Eventually, she fell asleep, and he picked her up and carried her to her bed. Alicia woke up with Will next to her with his arms around her.

"Will, you know this completely inappropriate right?" she said.

"Why? Nothing happened. We're both still fully clothed."

"Alicia, I lov.. I like the fact that I can be there for you as a friend. I just wish it could be more than that."

"It can't, Will. That's pretty obvious now," she said.

He kissed her neck, and gently stroked her hair. "You are going to be a wonderful mom."

"This all too much for me to absorb right now. Passing the bar. Interviewing for jobs. Getting married and having a baby. It's almost like I'm being pushed headlong into full blown adulthood, and I'm not ready."

"You'll do fine. You are the strongest person I know," Will said.

"What am I going do to if I have to raise a child on my own? The thought of it alone is so scary…."

"This is Peter's baby, and he has an obligation to support you financially if no other way," Will said.

"You sound like a lawyer," she teased.

"Well I can represent you if you need me to. Once I pass the bar, of course. I'll go make coffee. De-caf, of course," he said.

"Great. I'm going to take a shower, and get myself together," Alicia told him.

She was in the shower, and Will was in the kitchen when he heard the knock at the door. His first thought was that it was probably April, back early from her visit to her parent's house.

It was Peter. The last person Will wanted to see right now.

"Hello Will. Can you please get Alicia for me? Now," Peter said.

To Be Contiued… Reviews are appreciated. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

Alicia walked into the living room startled to see Peter sitting there with Will. She was still in her bathrobe, and had a towel wrapped around her head.

"Peter. What in God's name are you doing here?" she asked.

"I had a guilty conscience after we talked last night. I couldn't sleep. So I booked the earliest flight out of O'Hare this morning," Peter said.

"I have to finish getting ready. Please refrain from killing each other until I come out," she said.

Alicia felt nausea coming on, and wasn't sure if it was because of the pregnancy, or because Peter was sitting in her living room with Will.

She went to the closet and found a pair of black pants, and a white V-neck top. She stared at her stomach in the mirror as she dressed, amazed that there was already a baby growing inside.

She combed her tangled hair, tying it back in a ponytail. She applied a liberal amount of makeup, trying to hide the dark circles, and the bags under her eyes.

Alicia had always felt like her life followed a certain blueprint. Her high school and college grades had been an endless succession of A's. It was expected that she would finish college, finish law school, get a job, and then eventually marry and have kids. She never dreamed she would be here a week before law school graduation. Unsure about the direction her life was taking.

Lately, when she was in a restaurant or somewhere, she would take notice of women with young children. She expected to feel some kind of maternal instinct, but it wasn't happening. These women seemed harried and overwhelmed. She actually felt sorry for them.

Then again, she did feel some kind of instinctive protectiveness toward the baby growing inside her. That was why she hadn't had real coffee in three weeks, and why she had refused to drink tequila with Will last night. She wasn't sure she knew anything yet about being a mother, but already understood the lengths a mother would go to protect her child.

Alicia went into the living room where Will sat in front of the TV, pretending to be tremendously interested in a women's soccer match on ESPN. Peter sat in stony silence.

"Alicia, what the hell is he even doing here?" Peter was asking her.

"Uh, I live here?" Will said.

"This whole thing is none of your business. You need to leave so that Alicia and I can talk about this privately." Peter said sternly.

"Fine. I'll go for a drive," Will said as he switched off the TV, and stormed out.

So do you that often?" Peter asked after Will had left.

"Do what often?" Alicia asked.

"Parade around in front of Will in only your bathrobe?"

"Oh for God's sake Peter, don't be ridiculous. Will and I have lived together for three years. We're comfortable around one another."

A little too comfortable, Alicia. Does he walk around in front of you in boxers, and a tee-shirt?"

"Sometimes, yeah." She wondered what Peter would say if he knew she woke up this morning wrapped in Will's arms, his hands only inches from her breasts.

"So why are you here, Peter? You made it clear how you felt on the phone last night. What else is there to say?"

"Alicia, I truly love you. And I'm sorry about the way I reacted last night," Peter said with the requisite amount of regret in his voice.

"Cut the crap, Peter. You wanted me to get rid of our baby. To sweep it under the rug, and go on with our lives like it never happened. And now you show up here full of apologies?"

"What else are you going to do, Alicia? Raise a child alone when you're barely out of law school? Your family won't support you, you know that. Marry Will? Come on, that's a joke."

He was right. She had no other choice. She knew in his own strange, sad way Peter did love her. Once he got over the initial shock of all of this, she knew he could be a good father. She could still have the suburban home with the with white picket fence, and the rose bushes.

Alicia being Alicia, was already planning in her head. "We'll just have to move up the wedding that's all. We'll plan it for some time this summer, with just our closest family and friends."

Peter moved over closer to her, and took her hand. "This will all work out. I love you, and I promise never to hurt you ever again."

Will drove out of DC until he was deep into the Maryland countryside. He ended up in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Braxton, Maryland.

The town looked like a movie set from the 50's. There was a gazebo in the town square. Main Street contained a family-owned hardware store, drug store, and diner. Children rode their bikes through town apparently free to roam where they liked. There was no parental fear of them ending up on a milk carton.

Will half-expected Sheriff Andy Taylor, and Aunt Bea to come running out of city hall to greet him. Maybe he could move here with Alicia. They'd set up a law practice together here, and raise their children in this bucolic atmosphere, True, neither one of them were really small town people, but they could adjust.

He stopped at a bar at the edge of Main Street called Clancy's Tavern. He ordered a beer, and French fries.

"So you down here from DC?" the bartender asked. He was an older man with white hair, and a ruddy face.

The bartender's name was Charley, and will ended telling him the entire story involving himself, Peter, and Alicia.

"She wants the kind of stable family life she herself never had as a child. I get that. I just do not think Peter is the right person to give her that."

"Buddy, I don't know you, and I don't know this other Peter guy. But I'd say if she's already engaged to this guy, and pregnant, it's probably time to move on," Charley said.

He eventually became too drunk to drive anywhere, so Charley called him a cab, and he checked into a bed and breakfast run by a nice woman named Nancy. When he got to his room, he picked up the phone on the bedside table, and called home. No one answered. He assumed Alicia and Peter had gone out, or were involved in something that prohibited them from picking up the phone.

"So, we're all having dinner tonight, if you want to join us? Just Peter and me, my mom and stepdad, and my brother," Alicia said.

"Dinner with Peter, and your folks? I'll pass. My mom and sister want me to show them the White House, and the Washington Monument, and all that crap." Will answered.

Georgetown Law School graduation had been that morning. Alicia and Will were in the apartment they had shared for three years. She was packing up the remainder of her things. She was driving back to Chicago tomorrow to begin her new life there.

Will went to the fridge, and took out a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne, and poured two glasses

. "To the class of 1994. We did it! Here, I got you something, It's for the baby, actually."

He handed her a plain white box with a red ribbon in the center. "Sorry, I'm not much for wrapping presents."

She opened it to find a tiny Cubs cap, with a matching jersey.

"Will. This is adorable! I assume you know somehow that it's a boy?" she asked.

"Little girls can become Cubs fans, and have their hearts broken year after year just like little boys. Maybe I can be a part of the kid's life. Uncle Will. I can take him to ball games, and teach him to play hoops," Will said.

Alicia knew Peter would never allow that. "Thank you for the gift, Will. And thank you for being there for me that night. I think I would have complexly lost it. You are the best friend I've ever had."

They promised there would be no tears, Of course there were.

Will received a wedding invitation in the mail a month later, along with a letter from Alicia. She had passed the bar in Illinois. She had a job, and was planning a wedding for Labor Day weekend, Her letter sounded hopeful, and full of promise.

He didn't attend the wedding of course. He wrote back, stating he had a golf outing that weekend with some of his fraternity brothers. He spent the weekend alone in his apartment, drinking himself oblivious.

He stayed in the apartment in Washington when fall arrived, commuting to his new job in Baltimore.

A girl with long dark hair rented Alicia's old room. She was a third year law student, with friends, and a life of her own. One night she had a party, and they both got plastered drunk. He almost slept with her, but stopped himself before that happened.

His life was spiraling out of control, and he felt powerless to stop it. He was drinking way too much, and spending too much betting on football and basketball games.

In January of 1995, he got a phone call from Owen Cavanaugh, Alicia's brother.

"Will Gardner? This is Owen. Alicia's younger brother. She wanted you to know she had a baby boy. Zachary Peter Florrick. She had an emergency C-section, and had a rough time. But she's fine, and the baby is healthy."

"That's great, Owen, Thanks for letting me know," he said without apparent emotion. Silently, he said a prayer thanking God that Alicia was okay, and asking him to make certain little Zachary did not turn out to be like his father.

Two Years Later

Alicia stumbled downstairs to the den. Both of her children were blissfully asleep. Grace had been crying non-stop for two days, and Alicia was beyond exhausted.

She went to the computer in the den, and opened her E-mail, hoping from a message from Him.

She made sure she deleted every thread of conversation she had with Will. She wasn't sure why. It wasn't like it wasn't anything would result from E-mail.

There was a message from him, sent yesterday.

To:ZachandGracesMom

How have you been? There's some stuff going on here I can't really say a whole lot about. I think it's time to leave Batimore.

Alicica wrote:

Sorry I haven't written back Grace is teething, and finally stopped crying. So where do you think you'll go?

Try rubbing bourbon on her gums, that what my mom says worked for me. Here's the thing. I might be coming to Chicago for an interview in a few weeks. Think you can get away for a few hours?

Alicia stared at the E-mail, unsure what do or how to respond.

To be continued….

**Sorry about the way this ended up, but if Alicia ended up with Will instead, there wouldn't be a show, LOL! I was thinking about doing an AU story where Will and Alicia run a practice together in that small town. We'll see.. Thanks for the nice reviews everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

She spent an hour getting ready for their lunch date, surveying her body in the mirror, and concluding that if Will saw what her body looked like now, he wouldn't be interested any more. She finally decided on a simple black skirt, a brown turtleneck, and black leather flats.

She had come to look forward to her nightly e-mail sessions with Will. Hungry for anything to stimulate her brain, she asked him to share information on the cases he was working on. Something Peter adamantly refused to do with her. Will told her what he could about his clients, and she was grateful to him for that.

Before she left the house, she went to her closet, and took out a box labeled "mementos". Mementos of her friendship with Will Gardner.

There was a book of matches, and a coaster from Holihan's Bar and Grill in Washington, DC. Sunglasses from the week they'd spent at the shore. That was when Will first kissed her, and things began to get strange between them. There were lift tickets from the ski trip they'd taken, ticket stubs from Springsteen at RFK stadium, and from the NCAA March madness tournament when they'd watched Georgetown in the sweet sixteen.

God, she missed him so much sometimes. He always had been good at bringing out her crazier, more spontaneous side. No one with the exception of her brother Owen could make her laugh quite the way Will did. She felt like she hadn't laughed in a very long time.

She told herself things would get better. The kids would get older. Eventually, they'd both be in school, and she could resume her career. Peter would work less, and be home more. They'd be together more often, as a family.

He was waiting at the Red Lion Pub already, sitting at the bar drinking a pint, and asking the bartender about the pub's famous cat mascot. The cat sauntered up and down the bar, stopping occasionally for the food and water set on the edge of the bar for him.

He jumped from the barstool, and embraced her as soon as she walked in.

"Alicia! You look great! Motherhood agrees with you," he said.

"And look at you. Wearing a suit. You look like a grownup, "Alicia said.

She sat down next to him, and ordered a glass of red wine. She hadn't a drink for over two years. There was no need to mention to Will that she was no longer breast-feeding.

"Sorry, it took me so long to get here, I had to wait for my mother-in-law to come over and babysit. Then Zach pitched a fit because I was leaving without him. He's at that clingy stage."

"I'm assuming you have pictures?" he asked her.

"Only about a thousand of them." She grabbed her purse, and pulled the most recent photos of Zach and Grace from her wallet.

He gazed at the pictures of a baby girl, and a little boy with Alicia's dark, wavy hair.

They're beautiful kids, Alicia," he said with sincerity.

"Will, I love my kids more than I ever imagined I would. But there are days when I'd like to climb onto the roof of the house, and start to scream."

"Don't do that. You don't want to get a reputation as Lunatic Woman" Will laughed.

They split a bowl of Guinness Stew. Soon they were laughing and talking. It was as though two years hadn't passed.

"Do you remember the ski trip?" he asked.

Alicia laughed. "I must have fallen on my butt eighteen times!"

The ski trip had been organized by some guys in Will's fraternity. Will had skied before in the mountains of Pennsylvania, and upstate New York. Alicia, having been raised in the flatlands of the Midwest, had never been on skis in her life.

You gave it a game try, from what I remember," Will said.

"All I remember is being cold and wet, but still managing to laugh hysterically. I think we finally gave up, and escaped to the lodge to sit in front of the fireplace with some warm adult beverages."

They had always had so much fun together. Will reminded her of the time they'd dressed up like geeky tourists, complete with garish tee shirts, hats, and cameras around their necks. They'd gone to Union Station, and gotten tickets for the Washington DC tour.

They'd stopped at the Washington Monument, and had lunch at the cafeteria in the American History wing of the Smithsonian. When the bus pulled up in front of the White House, Alicia, pretending to be the wide-eyed innocent from America's heartland, had gazed out the window, and said, "Wow. The President and First Lady really live there?"

An older woman sitting behind them replied, "Yes they do, dear." At that point, Will and Alicia were unable to suppress their laughter.

"So how is Peter?" Will asked.

She didn't want to talk about Peter. The present was too depressing. Alicia preferred to retreat into the past.

"Peter is Peter. Always working. He comes home after nine every night, has a few drinks, kisses Zach and Grace good night, and then goes to bed. We talk every night for about ten minutes."

Will smiled at her in sympathy. "So you have regrets?"

"No, I don't Will. I don't mean to sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself, or that I'm whining about how my life turned out. Peter gave me my children, and I'm thankful. I just didn't expect to be where I am at twenty-eight years old."

The bartender approached them, and Will ordered another pint and a glass of wine for Alicia.

"This place is haunted, you know. There's a ghost upstairs. But you have to come here between three and four on Sunday afternoon in order to hear the ghost."

Will chuckled. "You're such a logical person. You are the last person I'd expect to believe in ghosts."

"It's a Chicago legend. The Biograph theatre across the street is where John Dillinger was killed. They say his ghost haunts the alley behind the theatre. Perhaps it's the same ghost," Alicia explained.

"So Dillinger's ghost comes over here on Sunday just to have a pint of beer? I think I'm really going to like Chicago!" Will said.

She asked him about his interview, and he said it seemed to have gone well. She hadn't asked what had happened in Baltimore, and will hadn't volunteered any information.

Will had finished his beer, and was settling with the bartender. What do you say we go and have some fun? Can you call your mother-in-law, and let her know you'll be a few more hours?"

Alicia wanted nothing more than to spend the day with him, but she was afraid of Jackie's reaction. "Sure. I guess I can call her on their pay phone…."

Will was pulling his cellular phone from his brief case. "You haven't gotten one of these yet?" he asked her.

"Peter has one. I really don't need one. I hardly go anywhere except the doctor's office, or the grocery store," She was sorry the minute the words came out of her mouth. She was sounding whiny and self-pitying again.

Will handed her the phone. "Call her, and find out if she can watch the kids a little longer."

He showed her how to work the phone. She ended up getting the answering machine. Bitch. She was deliberately not picking up. Alicia was sure Jackie was somewhere in the house. It was a big house, but not that big that one couldn't hear the phone from anywhere in the house.

She ended up leaving her mother-in law a terse message. "Hi Jackie. It's me. My friend and I decided to do some shopping on Michigan Avenue. If that's okay. Give the kids my love, and I'll be home by about five. You can call me back at 410-655-7455."

They walked outside, and walked across the street to the Biograph. There was an old-fashioned ticket booth out front with a mannequin dressed in 30's style garb.

"Let's go in and watch the movie," Will suggested.

He bought two tickets, and they ended up buying a large tub of popcorn, and two massive cokes.

Alicia could not have told anyone afterwards what the movie was about. Some lame romantic comedy. She liked Sandra Bullock, and Hugh Grant, but this was not their best effort. She couldn't believe she was sitting here in the middle of the afternoon in a darkened movie theatre with Will, giggling at nothing like a teenager.

He began kissing her neck, and she told him to stop, even though she really didn't want him to.

"We're in a public place, Will," she warned him.

"Look around, Alicia. We're the only ones in here. Come back to my hotel with me. Please. Just this once."

"I can't. You know that."

They movie had just ended, and they were walking outside when Will's phone rang. It was Jackie.

Will handed Alicia the phone. "It's your mother-in-law. She sounds upset."

"Yeah. Jackie what's going on?"

"Alicia, who was that man who answered the phone? Where are you?" Peter and I are at Northwestern Hospital.. In the emergency room. Grace had a high fever, and started having seizures."

"Oh my God. I'll be there as soon as I can."

She explained to Will what was going on, and he offered to walk her to her car.

"No, that's okay. I need to go. I'm sorry, Will."

Peter and Jackie were standing together in corridor of the ER at Northwestern, Peter was holding Grace. Zach ran into her arms when he saw her approach,

"Mama!" he sqealed.

She took Zach in her arms, and walked slowly toward Peter and his mother. She felt like she was walking the plank.

"Oh thank God she's okay. What happened?"

"The pediatrician said it's not uncommon for babies to have seizures when they spike a fever. She should be fine. He wrote a prescription for an anti-seizure medication, and said to keep an eye on her. Alicia where were you?" Peter asked.

She ignored his question. "They're just going to let us take her home? I would think they'd keep her here overnight for observation or something." The very idea of her daughter having seizures was terrifying. There were some many ramifications. Epilepsy. Permanent brain damage. She didn't even want to think about it.

"Alicia, look at her, She's fine. I have to go back to the office. Mom is going to go back to the house with you to help you get the kids settled. We'll talk when I get home tonight."

That's right Peter, she said to herself. Walk away. Because that's what you always do best.

A few days later, she E-mailed Will.

From: Zach and Grace's Mom

To: Lawyer Boy27  
>I enjoyed our little get-together. Grace is going to be fine. Peter was pretty angry when I confessed to him that I'd seen you. I think its best if we cease the E-mails for a while. Good luck at your new firm.<p>

. It would be twelve years before they met again.

To be continued…

Sorry for the long delay. Bit of trivia- The Red Lion pub does exist in Chicago, and at one time there was a cat who roamed the bar. He passed away a few year after Will and Alicia would have been there! Anyway, enjoy and please review…


	6. Chapter 6

Alicia had taken the kids out for breakfast on Sunday morning. All of their kitchen items were packed for the movers.

"I don't understand why we have to move," Grace said to her.

.Alicia knew they would miss their school, their friends, and the house where they'd grown up. Frankly, she herself couldn't get out of Highland Park fast enough. In fact, she wanted to tell the neighbors who now shunned them to kiss her ass, and go to hell. That wasn't Alicia's style however, and not apt to happen.

"Sweetheart, we've been over this. We can't afford the house anymore. Besides which, I hope to get a job in the city, and it will be easier on all of us if we're living there."

Grace took a piece of bacon from her plate, and placed it on her brother's. "Take this. I'm a vegetarian now."

Alicia looked at her daughter in surprise.

"Since when?"

"For a couple of weeks now, Mom. You just haven't been paying attention.

""Well, I have been a little distracted lately, Grace," Alicia said.

"Can I get a cell phone?" Grace continued

.Alicia was actually grateful for the innate selfishness of adolescent children.

Grace's incessant whining was one of the few aspects of her life that remained normal.

"Honey, we talked about this already. I told you when you turned 13 you could have your own phone. You won't be thirteen for a few more months."

""Mom, I'm the only kid in the seventh grade without her own phone. There are nine year olds with cell phones now. And when we move, you'll be working, and we'll be alone at lot more. Plus it'll be safer if I have a phone living in Chicago…"

."Alicia had to admit Grace had a valid point. "Fine. We'll stop at the mall on the way home, and I'll put you on my plan."

"Thanks Mom! You're the best!" Grace said.

Grace got up and went to the restroom, and Alicia asked Zach about the vegetarian thing.

"Mom, this is Grace we're talking about here. It's her latest thing. Two days from now, we'll catch her eating a burger."

"Well, if she's serious about becoming a vegetarian, I have no problem with that. If she does it the right way, and doesn't endanger her health."

"When Grace came back to the table and Alicia paid the bill. "Listen guys, I have a meeting on Monday with someone about a possible job. So if you come home from school, and I'm not home yet, lock up, and do not go anywhere.

"Zach rolled his eyes. "Yeah Mom, we know all that."

After the fallout from Peter's scandal, she hadn't known where to turn, or what to do. She wanted to get in bed, crawl under the covers, and sleep for a week. However, that wasn't possible. She knew she had to support herself, and her kids, but wasn't sure how to even begin looking for a job.

Then it had come to her one night out of the blue while watching some crime/legal drama on TV. Will. Will Gardner. Will was a managing partner now with a big firm. Will would help her. If nothing else, he could give her advice and maybe a lead when it came to finding a wasn't sure where to start, and it was actually Zach who came up with the solution. She asked her son how to search for someone online, and his answer was simple. "Just Google them, Mom."

She'd done that. She found the web page for Stern/Lockhart/Gardner, and called him right away. A receptionist and two secretaries put her on hold before she was informed that Mr. Gardner was in court, and she could leave message for him.

.He called her back within ten minutes.

.Will couldn't hide his pleasure at hearing her voice on the phone after all these years. He knew about the scandal, of course. He'd seen her on television at the press conference with Peter, and his heart went out to her. He knew she was handling everything with class, dignity, and grace like always

.He went into his office and closed his door while they spoke on the phone. "Alicia! It is great that you called! How are you holding up?""I'm coping. Listen, Will. I need your help. Do you know of any firms that might be hiring associates right now?" she asked.

As a matter of fact, you're in luck. Diane Lockhart and I are interviewing for a junior associate position right now. I can talk to her this afternoon, and call you back."

""Great! Thanks so much Will."

He walked into Diane's office, ready to sing Alicia's praises.

"Will, this woman hasn't set foot in a courtroom in 13 years. Do we really want the remnants of the Florrick scandal brought into our firm?" Diane asked him.

"Alicia is a very private person, and I can assure you that won't happen. I wish I could emphasize enough how capable, and smart she is. Maybe the only good thing about this whole mess with Peter Florrick is that Alicia is finally being given this chance.."

Diane gave him one of her famous enigmatic smiles. "Exactly how close were you to her, Will?"

"Not that close. She was already involved with Florrick when we met in law school. We were best friends. I don't think I would have made it through Georgetown without her. She was the one who kicked my butt, and made me study, when I preferred to drink. Not that we didn't have plenty of fun together in our spare time."

"Very well. Call her back, and tell her we'll give her an interview. But I'm not making any promises, Will. There are a lot of qualified candidates…."

Will wasn't listening to Diane anymore. He was so happy that Alicia was back in his life that he felt like he was walking on air. He decided he was going to hire her one way or another no matter what Diane wanted.

They agreed to meet at a new seafood place near the Palmer House hotel downtown. Will was already at the table when Alicia got there, pouring a bottle of embraced warmly. "It is so good to see you Alicia! I took the liberty of ordering a bottle of Pinot. Their wine selection here is actually pretty good."

This Will Gardner in the Armani suit and the expensive leather shoes was not the Will she'd known in college. That Will ate pizza for breakfast, and threw wet towels and dirty jeans on the bathroom floor when a hamper was readily available. That person drank cheap beer, and certainly wouldn't have known anything about a wine list

.She had agonized over this meeting for days. Would he think her staid and boring now because she had been a stay at home mom for all these years? She was sure Will dated a lot of women who were no doubt young and sexy. Then it occurred to her that she was still a married woman, and that this was supposed to be a business lunch.

.She pulled up a chair across from him, and started gazing at the menu. "I'll have a glass. I can only have one, though. I am driving. Plus, I have to go to Grace's soccer party with her tonight. It's kind of a big deal for her. It's an opportunity for her to say goodbye to her friends."She showed him their school pictures. "Grace is in seventh grade now, and Zach is in eighth."

"They've grown up! Last time we saw each other they were babies, Alicia," Will said.

"Yeah, well. Unfortunately, they get older, and learn to speak. My daughter thinks she's a vegetarian. I had to listen to a lecture this morning on the evils of meat while I tried to eat breakfast."

"He laughed. "So, let's get down to business. I talked to Diane Lockhart, and she said we could schedule an interview for later this week. How does Thursday at 11am sound?"

""That's great. The kids will be at school, so that's perfect. Thank you. You are a genuine lifesaver."

"Alicia, you deserve this opportunity, and I want to see to it that you get it. Somewhere."

She ended up ordering a salad, and then drank a second glass of wine, and a third. "I think I need some coffee," she finally said.

"Maybe it's better facing those soccer moms when you're a little tipsy. I wish I didn't have to go back to the office today. I wish I could go home, and change into shorts, and a tee shirt. Then we would go to Wrigley, sit in the bleachers, and drink Old Style. Baseball, sunshine, and beer. That's all I want on a day like today." And Alicia, he wanted to add, but couldn't say aloud.

Alicia smiled as she said goodbye, and left the restaurant. The Will she remembered from long ago was still there.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

This story is much racier than anything I've written before, so bear with me! Please review and review honestly!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the rights to something!

During their affair, comparisons to Peter were inevitable. Peter had had a tendency to ram into her where Will took his time.

One Saturday he had come over when the kids were at their father's. He brought her to a frenzy as he kissed her breasts, working his way down to her stomach. Finally, she could take no more. She took the initiative, whispering, "Just fuck me," and then taking him in her hands, guiding him inside of her.

Alicia could lie to her brother, and to herself, and pretend she did not love Will. However, the fact of the matter was that in twenty years of being with Peter he had never made her feel alive like this.

She would separate herself from him in the dark of night, determined to keep the barriers between them. She would lay at the very edge of the bed, lost in her own thoughts.

"Alicia, can I ask you something? I know you don't like to talk…"

"Okay. What is it?" she asked.

"Why did you choose him over me? All those years ago at Georgetown?"

"Oh God, Will. Do we really have to have this conversation now? You know why. I was pregnant with Zach."

"I mean before that. When you came back from Christmas break third year and told me about you engagement, I wanted to kill myself."

Alicia closed her eyes, and thought back to the only real fight she and Will had ever had.

It_ was the morning of the mock trial. Will had woken up in bed with a redhead named either Felicia or Felicity. He wasn't sure. It felt there was someone with a thousand tiny hammers pounding inside his head. _

_ Alicia burst into the room, dressed in a suit and heels. His vision was blurred, but she looked damn hot._

_ "Get your ass out of bed right now, Will. You have twenty minutes to shower, shave, dress, and make yourself presentable."_

_ "Okay Mom. Just give me a minute," he groaned at her._

_ "Maybe I should go?" Will's friend said._

_ "Yeah, that would be a good idea. If you screw this up Will, I swear I will never forgive you," Alicia said. _

_ "Relax, Alicia. I'll get it together. I promise you."_

_ She shook her head at him. "You are a child, Will. I'm leaving now. I'll see you there."_

_ After they lost the mock trial, they stopped speaking for days. She would talk to him only to tell him the electric bill was due, or that his mother had called. She went to the library after classes to avoid him, and Will went to the bar._

_ One Friday night a week after their blowup, she was in the apartment alone watching TV when he came home stone cold sober, looking sheepish and apologetic._

_ He was holding a bottle of red wine, and a strawberry cheesecake from her favorite bakery._

_ "Peace offering? I admit it. I've been a complete ass," he said._

_ Alicia motioned him to come and sit down next to her. "It wasn't just you. We both lost. I guess part of being a lawyer, and part of being an adult for that matter, means learning how to lose, and lose gracefully."_

_"You do everything gracefully, Alicia," he said._

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"I don't need food. I only need you," he said as he began kissing her neck.

She got out of bed, grabbing his shirt from the bedside chair, and pulling it on. "Come on. I'll make you breakfast."

They drank coffee, and had eggs and toast in front of the TV in the living room, watching the Sunday morning news shows. Will liked this, this sense of normalcy they had sometimes.

He noticed the photo albums sitting on the coffee table. One labeled "Zach", one labeled "Grace," and one labeled simply "family." He began rifling through them. There were pictures of both kids through infancy, toddlerhood, and the middle years of childhood. There were birthday party photos, Christmas photos, and family vacations.

"Grace dragged those out even though I begged her not to," Alicia said,,

What are they like? Your kids?" he asked.

She sighed. "Zach is so smart. He's always been in gifted classes in school, and says he wants to go to MIT or somewhere like that to study computer science, or engineering. It would be wonderful if he could go to prestigious college like that, but I'd missed him if were that far away. Besides which, I don't know if I could afford it."

"Maybe he can get a scholarship for his academics?" Will suggested.

She scoffed. "Other parents would be livid if they gave a scholarship to the State's Attorney's kid. And I wouldn't blame them. "

"What about Grace? Where does she want to go?" Will asked.

"Grace is a great kid. She's funny, and smart, and kind. But she struggles in school both academically, and socially. She's never gotten the math and science grades her brother has. And she's so gullible, and so easily manipulated sometimes. I worry for my daughter. I really do."

It was really the first time she had talked to him like this. About her family, her children. He wanted to get to know them, but she had made it clear that would not happen.

Alicia took the photo albums, and put them in a drawer, obviously not wanting any more memories dredged up.

"I'm going to take a shower. Would you like to join me?" she asked.

"I'll race you there!" Will exclaimed a she jumped from the couch.


	8. Chapter 8

Sadly, this will be the last installment in this series. If my writing was not interesting or compelling enough, I apologize. For those who did review and enjoy, thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"So here are the ground rules, Peter. I am supporting you for Governor only because Mike Krestiva is a horrible person, and I do not want him elected dogcatcher. This is still a marriage in name only. We will continue to live in separate homes. If you win, the kids and I are staying here. We will not move with you to Springfield."

"Alicia, we're in a public place. What if someone overhears you?" Peter was saying.

They were having lunch in a downtown restaurant. Eli had suggested they go out in public more in order to keep up appearances.

"I'm sorry. By the way, I talked to the kids about what's going on. They were confused, but they understand. It's time someone was honest with them for a change."

"Thank you for doing this," Peter said to her.

He easily won the Democratic primary. Mike Krestiva ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. In August, Alicia went with Peter to the Democratic convention in Charlotte. Together, they watched Barak Obama accept the nomination for his second term.

They were invited to a reception tha the President and First Lady were scheduled to attend. Alicia found herself shaking hands with Barak and Michelle Obama, disbelieving that she was actually in the presence of the President of the United States.

She cringed when Peter put his arm around her. It had come to this. Her lies, this charade had extended to the freaking Oval Office.

Her relationship with Will was chillier than ever. When his suspension ended and he was back at work, they barely spoke.

One night when she was a little drunk, and feeling lonely, depressed, and suicidal, she picked up the phone and called him. She could hear a woman's voice in the background and felt a sharp pang of jealousy.

"What do you want, Alicia? How's Peter doing?" he asked her sharply.

"I 'm so sorry. I know you don't understand Will…."

"I have to go, Alicia. I have nothing more to say to you," he said as the phone went dead.

She could understand why he wanted nothing to do with her. She had broken his heart, rejecting his love repeatedly. She hoped he found what he was looking for. Happiness with someone.

In September, she took a leave of absence to help with the campaign. The campaign bus crisscrossed the state of Illinois. Peter was ahead in the polls. He came across as charming and affable while Mike Krestiva appeared to be rude and brusque. Nothing was a given, however. Obama was in a tighter than expected race with Mitt Romney. Riding the President's coattails might not lead to the Governor's office.

When the day ended, and she was in the hotel room in Carbondale, Moline, or Kankakee, she would lay awake in bed and think about what a jumbled mess her life had become. Her relationship with her kids had become chilly and distant. She was still trying to mend things with Kalinda. Will refused to take her calls. Even her brother Owen questioned what she was doing.

Back in Chicago, she managed to sneak away from Peter and Eli and meet Kalinda for a drink.

"So how are the things at the office? How is Will doing?" Alicia asked as they downed shots.

"Will is just being Will," Kalinda told her.

Alicia had no idea what that meant. "Kalinda, why do you always have to sound so cryptic? Why can't you just come out and say what you mean?"

Kalinda downed another shot of tequila. "Okay fine then. I'll do that. You look like hell, Alicia. You look like you haven't slept in a month, and your eyes are red from crying. You're not happy. You've got to give this up, or it's going to kill you. And just to let you know, Will is just as miserable as you are."

"Thank you for being honest," she said to her former best friend.

She woke up on Election Day feeling physically ill. She went to the polls early in the morning with Zach, who had just turned 18, and voted for the first time. It was impossible to avoid the press. It was actually Zach who spoke to them while she ran for the car.

` Alicia didn't know where this ended. If he won, they would be expected to appear as a unified couple. The Governor, and First Lady of Illinois. There was already talk of Peter succeeding Obama and running for the White House in 2016 or 2020.

The race went back and forth all night. But when the results came in from the Chicago suburbs, it became obvious that Peter Florrick was now the Governor-elect of Illinois.

Krestiva conceded by eleven-thirty, and Peter stood ready to lead her onstage his acceptance speech.

, Alicia had her hands covering her mouth, feeling as though she were about to vomit.

_I cannot do this…she thought to herself._

Peter, Eli, Jackie, and the kifs were all cheering, hollering and whopping it up. They were paying no attention to her. She took her phone and began to text Will.

I want to see you. I'm still yours if you want me

He texted back within minutes How soon can you get over here?

She took Zach and Grace aside and explained that she had to go somewhere, but she would see them later. The she bolted from the room with no explanation for Peter, Eli or Jackie.

Two hours later, she was in Will's bed, watching as a blonde reporter relayed the night's events.

"Peter Florrick has made his acceptance speech as Illinois Governor elect, but the stunning news is that his wife, Alicia was nowhere to be seen. The couple had of course hit a rough patch in their marriage, but had supposedly reconciled. "

"So are you sorry you did this? This is going to have huge consequences, you know?" Will said.

She simply smiled and snuggled closer to him. "No. I'm happy. I'm finally taking control of my life. I love you, Will."

"I love you too. We'll get through this."


End file.
